Spring suspension for vehicles



E. H. BELDEN. SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED OCR-9,1919.

1 ,407,91 7 Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

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ATTORNEY E. H- BELDENJ SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MT 9 19 1,407,917, Patented Feb. 28, 1922 2EEEEEEEEEEEE 2- IN V EN TOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. BELDEN, or renew, omo, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE wrnnyssovnnnmnCOMPANY, or TOLEDO, onro, A CORPORATION or onro. 1

'SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES To all whom it may concern Be itknownthat I, EDW RD H. BELDEN, residing at Toledo, county of Lucas,State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in fSpring Suspensions for V hicles of which I declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description.

This inventionrelates to improvements in spring suspension for vehicles,particularly vehicles of'the motor driven type. 7

One object of the invention is to provide an improved suspension'for theframe of a motor vehicle adapted to provide a very easy riding car andone'which may be readily steered. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a suspension of thischaracterwherein the opposite end portions of'the automobile "frame aresupported from the axles by means of'a transversely bowedsemi-elliptical spring. v A further ob ect of the invention is toprovide an improvedform of spring which is particularly adaptedfor useinconnection with motor vehicles whereby the effective length of thespring is increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is of simple construction andefficientin operation-JFurther objects of the inventionrelate to economies of manufacture anddetails of con struction as will hereinafter appear from the detaileddescription to follow.

The objects "of the inventionare accomplished in one instance by thedevices and means described inthe following specifica tion,-"but"it isevident that the same 'may be varied widely Without departing from the.ing apart hereof in which:

"front end portion of the automobileframe illustrating the manner 111which the frame is supported from the front axle by th spring.

F'gure III is a perspective view of the frou'tend portion of anautomobile frame Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. .28; 1922.

- Application 'filed October 9, 1919. Serial K013529328.

illustrating the manner of positioning the sprmgs with respect to theframe'and axle.

Figure IV is a perspective View of the rear portion of the frameillustrating the manner of supporting the rear end portion of the framefrom the rear axle;

Figure V is an elevational view of the shackle employed for connectingthe for ward ends'of the radius rods to the frame.

In order to increasethe effective length of the springs at the ends ofthe frame over that obtainable'from the use of a pair of cantileversprings'at the ends of the frame, applicant proposes to employ as'emi-ellip tical spring at each end-oftl1eframe and by placing-thesecuring devices for securing each springjto the frame near the centerlongitudinal line of the vehicle frame, e0nsiderable effective lengthis' given whereby the resiliency of the support is increased;

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, 1 indicates thefront axle of the automobile, and 2 the rear axle, the said axles beingsupported by, the usual ground engaging wheels 3 and f i respectively;"The automobile framecompri'sesa pair of longi:

tiulinally extending side frame members 5 andtl' which'terminateshort-oftheextreme" front and rear portions'of the 'frame a'nd areprovided with connectingplates 7 and 8 off I .85 rear extremitiesof theframe and servingto connect the side frame'unemb ers '5 and 6 while atthe same time providingmeans for supporting the frame from thefrontandrear-axles through supporting springs which will be hereinafterdescribed. The end similar constructionlocated at the front and' framemem'bersor plates 7 and 8 are of similar construction, and havelntermedlate portions 9 and 10 respectively bent downwardly andoutwardly whereby the side frame members are supported somewhat abovethe-level of the springs. *Theendframe members 7 i and 8 are securelyattached tothe front'and rear ends of the side frame membersoand (3 inany suitable or desired manner. The

' rear'spring 12'is of semi-elliptic form hav- I its intermediateportionbowed transversely from the vertical plane passing; through the endportions thereof, and said; spring being secured adjacent-its center tothe downwardly bent portion '10 of the transverse plate 8 by means of aplate 13 underlying the central portion of the spring and secured to,the frame by means of a plurality of U-bolts 1 L embracing thetransverse member 8 and the spring, each of the U-bolts being providedwith akeeper bearing against the lower surface of the plate 13. A bolt14 may also be passed through the transverse member 8, the intermediatepor-' tion of the spring and the plate 13 to assist the U-bolts infirmly securing the spring to the end portion of the frame. The spring12 is made up of a plurality ofleaves 16,

and U-clips 17 are provided for suitably securing the leaves together atintervals,

thereby preventing disengagement of the leaves from each other. Brakeband hous ings 18 are provided from opposite end portions ofthe axlecasing, and a bracket 19 is will be seenthat this construction permitsthe expanding of the rearspring, as the link 22 may pivot about thebracket 21 whereby the'distances between the points of support for thespring upon the axle may vary with the flexing of the spring.

A front spring 25 formed in a similar manner to the rear springpreviously described, and being ofthe semrelliptical type having -theportion intermediate its ends bowed transversely from the vertical planepassing through the ends thereof is mounted beneath the depressedportion 9 of the member 7 to which the central portion of the spring issecured by means of a plate 26 positioned beneath the spring and securedto the cross member 7 by means of a plurality of U-bolts I 27, each ofwhich is provided with a keeper 28 hearing against the lower surface ofthe 26." A bolt 29 is passedithrough the depressed portion 9 of thecross member, thel spring, andthe plate. 26, and extends downwardlybelow the'plate 26 for a'purpose which will. be hereinafter described.The spring 25, is made. up of a plurality of separate leaves, certain ofwhich may be retained in posit on relative to each other by means ofsuitable clips 30. The outwardly extendv ing end portions of the spring25 are pivot ally secured to suitable brackets 31 carried by the axle 1so. as to be pivotally con? nected thereto. B olts 32' extend downwardlythrough the axle 1, which bolts may be formed integral with thesupportingbrackets 31 andserve as anchoringmeansfor the radius, rods 33which will be fully described hereinafter. These radius rods or members33 may be constructed in anysuitable manner, and in the embodiment shownherewith they are shown-as being formed of suitable'flat resilientmaterial similar to that of which the separate leaves of the springs areconstructed. The bolt 29 passed through the central portion of the frontspring has a branched lower portion, the branches 34:

and35 extending downwardly and serving as anchoring means located nearthe longitudinal center of the spring for securing the opposite ends ofthe radius rods from those attached to the bolts 32 t0 the frame,adjacent the central longitudinal line thereof.

Bymeans of the position of radius r0ds.33

connecting the front end portion of. the P frame withthe axle anadditional support ing means is provided for the frame, and by theprovision of the parallel connectingrnembers including the; end portionsof. the springs and the radius rods a parallel linkage is provided whichassists in maintaining the axle in a vertical plane at all times.- f

WVhile I have shown and described in considerable detail a specificembodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing anddescription is illustrative only and for the purpose ofrenderingmyinvention more clear, and that I do not regard ,the

invention as limited to the details of construction illustrated ordescribed except in so far as I have included such limitations withinthe terms of thefollowing claims in which it is my intention toclairn'all novelty inherentin my invention broadly as well asspecifically; i 1 I What I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is: a r 1. In a vehicle, an axle, a frame, a semiellipticalspring having the-portion inter mediate its ends bowed transversely fromthe vertical plane'passed through the ends thereof, the said bowedportion extending outwardly beyond :the axle and means for securing aportion of the, frame to the'outwardly bowed portion oflthe spring.

2. In a vehicle, an axle, a frame and a semi-elliptical springconnecting the frame and axle and'havin'g the portion intermediate itsends bowed transversely ffrom the vertical plane passed through the,ends thereof, the ends of the springbeingconnected to the axle. I 1

3; In a vehicle, an axle, a frameextending beyond said axle, and aspring of the semielliptical typebeing connected to: the frame andhaving the portion intermediate: its ends bowed transversely from thevertical plane passed through the ends thereof,.the endsfof the springsbeing connected to they ends of the axles.

4:. In a vehicle structure, a vehicle frame.

having its end portions reduced in width" relative to the intermediateportions thereof, front and rear axles, and semi-elliptical springsconnecting the frame to the axles and having the portion intermediatetheir ends bowed transversely from the vertical plane passed through theends thereof, the said bowed portions being connected to the endportions of the frame.

5. In a vehicle structure, a frame having its end portions reduced inwidth relative to the intermediate portion thereof, front and rearaxles, and semi-elliptical springs connecting the end portions of theframe to the front and rear axles respectively, each spring having theportion intermediate its ends bowed transversely from the vertical planepassed through the ends thereof, said bowed portions of the springsextending out wardly beyond the middle of the front and rear axles.

6. In a spring suspension for vehicles, a frame, an axle, asemi-elliptical spring having the portions intermediate its ends bowedtransversely from the vertical plane passed through the ends thereof andhaving its in termediate portion secured to one end of the frame and 1tsends secured to the axle, and a pair of radius rods each of whichextends substantially parallel to one end portion of the spring and isconnected at its ends to spring having its intermediate portion rigidlysecured to the frame at points near the longitudinal center line thereofand extend ing divergently therefrom the ends of the spring beingsecured to the axle at points near the ends thereof, and a Pair ofradius rods each of which extends in a direction substantially parallelto one end of the spring and-is connected at its ends to the frame andaxle respectively.

9. In a spring suspension for vehicles, a frame, axles, andsemi-elliptical springs having a portion intermediate the ends of eachspring firmly secured to the front and rear ends of the frame, portionsof the springs on opposite sides of the intermediate portions diverginginwardly in the same horizontalplane and then downwardly, the

ends of the springs being connected to the adjacent axles at points nearthe ends thereof.

10. In a spring suspension for vehicles, an axle, a frame having aconstricted end pro jecting outwardly beyond the axle, a spring securedat its intermediate portion to the projecting end of the frame, andradius rods connected to the projecting end of the frame, the saidsprings and radius rods diverging rearwardly towards and havingconnections with the axle.

11. In a spring suspension for vehicles,

an axle, a frame having parallel side bars and members connecting theends of the side bars, a spring connected intermediate its ends to oneof said members belowthe hori zontal plane of the side bars anddiverging rearwardly, the ends of said spring being connected to theaxle. I

In testimony EDWARD H. BELDEN.

whereof, I aflix my signature.

